


Ready for the fall

by RoughTweedAction (Donya)



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Gen, Moriarty is Dead, Reichenbach Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-17
Updated: 2018-11-17
Packaged: 2019-08-24 21:00:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16647692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Donya/pseuds/RoughTweedAction
Summary: Sherlock witnesses Jim Moriarty's death and it hurts more than he can admit.





	Ready for the fall

'You're me,' Moriarty whispered, staring at Sherlock, moving his face even closer to him. He chuckled, 'You're me. Thank you, Sherlock Holmes.'

Sherlock didn't say anything. He was watching Moriarty closely, not because he expected to be beaten in the last moment. No, he was so enthralled with his ability to notice details and use them to his advantage. His satisfaction was quiet, he didn't show it. He felt something else, too, a strange, unpleasant sensation in his chest. He defeated Moriarty. It happened. Their game was over. Why did that thought didn't bring relief?

He saw Moriarty's hand almost touching his shoulder. Moriarty quickly reconsidered and lowered his hand. Unexpectedly, he offered a handshake. Sherlock decided it was fitting, a sign of mutual respect after the tension of the last minutes. He accepted the offer with minimal hesitation, choosing to ignore the fact that a left-handed Jim extended his right hand.

Moriarty squeezed his hand. 'Thank you,' he repeated.

Something about his tone of voice worried Sherlock. He tilted his head, looking at Moriarty questioningly.

'Bless you,' Moriarty continued, nodding. His smile faded, he avoided Sherlock's eyes. 'As long as I'm alive you can save your friends, you have a way out. Well, good luck with that.'

Later Sherlock analysed that moment, recalled every tiny detail that he missed, wondered if he could have prevented it. Astonishingly, he wasn't alarmed when Moriarty opened his mouth. Again, Moriarty let him see his eyes and his mouth was still wide open, Sherlock could see the back of his throat and was almost sure that was another of Moriarty's attempts at making him uncomfortable. That plus the way he pulled Sherlock hand towards him. Clearly, Sherlock's blank expression didn't discourage Moriarty from his awkward flirting.

What he didn't see was the gun. He noticed it only when Moriarty let him. Sherlock instinctively moved away from it, only to see Jim put the gun in his mouth. Jim let him go and pulled the trigger. It happened so fast, in one moment Jim was holding his hand, seconds later his lifeless body fell to the ground.

Sherlock's ears were still ringing, he couldn't breathe normally, his breath was coming in gasps. He couldn't believe it. Moriarty was dead, lying on his back, his eyes were still open. Sherlock turned away, the sight was unreal. It couldn't be true. Maybe he survived that, somehow. Sherlock glanced at him and predictably, Moriarty wasn't showing any signs of life. Blood pooled around his head, bits of grey matter were visible even from the distance. He died. It was over.

Sherlock knew he worked best under pressure. Even in a situation as stressful as that one, his mind quickly offered solutions. It was too late to try to prevent the snipers from killing his friends. The one who was supposed to kill John had to be somewhere around the hospital. He had to be watching Sherlock. Only one thing could ensure the safety of John, Lestrade and Mrs Hudson. Sherlock had to jump. Nothing was going to soften the landing. It had to look real anyway. The only hope was now his surviving the fall, then disappearing with the help of Molly and Mycroft. But first, he had to talk to John. He knew John was coming back, having discovered Mrs Hudson wasn't shot. Sherlock had to wait with his very public suicide for John.

It was hell. Forced to stay on the roof with Moriarty's body, Sherlock thought he was going to lose his mind. It got worse when he realised Jim had a gun in the pocket of his coat the whole time. When he moved, when he raised his hands and turned around, the gun was there and Sherlock should've seen that suspicious weight in one of the pockets, it was so obvious now. Jim also hinted he could call off the snipers on purpose, to give Sherlock the illusion of control and then take it away, leaving him helpless. Moriarty's death wish was apparent from their first confrontation and yet his suicide shocked Sherlock. He had to admit Moriarty did defeat him.

Sherlock looked at him again. Moriarty didn't blink, didn't move. He was dead. The wise thing to do was to check his pulse, just to be absolutely sure, but Sherlock couldn't bring himself to do that. He wasn't entirely falling apart only because he was standing far away from the body. He couldn't look into Jim's empty eyes. He remembered the handshake, Jim almost touched his shoulder, maybe he wanted to embrace him. Now all that was lost. He was gone and ensured Sherlock's own demise.

**Author's Note:**

> I mean, what did Sherlock think was going to happen when Jim pulled his hand towards him? He was interestingly calm about that.


End file.
